Brief Booger Update

The last two weeks have been pretty terrible weather wise when it comes to working with Booger. Still, I got two very productive rides in last week.

On Monday night, I revisited everything we'd done during our last stellar flatwork session. We schooled at the walk, trot, and canter, then did all three over a set of ground poles. We played with simple changes and leg yields again.

Booger was in an exceptionally willing mood, so I dragged one of the cavaletti out and placed it along the fence on the long side, on the lowest setting. Booger walked, trotted, and cantered over it like the nothing it was. I put it on the middle setting and repeated the exercise. She lifted her feet higher, but didn't break stride.

I whistled for Mike (shut up, it's a totally legit way to call for my boyfriend) and had him bump the cavaletti to the highest setting (about 18") and grab the camera. I trotted Booger over it once to make sure she still wasn't fazed (she wasn't).  Then we approached it at the canter.

Not bad for the first time carrying a rider over a 'jump'.

On Wednesday, I finally got a trail ride in. I don't take Boo out on trail unless I have a big block of time cleared. It's not fair to her to trail ride on any kind of a schedule, so despite the fact that trail riding is what I want to do most in the world, I just don't do it if my time is limited.

The trail ride turned out great. Booger was brave and relaxed. We rode our loop from last year, plus crossed the creek and did some exploring on 'new' territory. I was able to ride her mostly on a loose rein, and she didn't bat an eye at the industrial sized lawn mowers at the golf course or the deer that was drinking from the creek as we rode through it.

We did have a whole herd of deer jump out of the tree line as we crossed the soy field for home. They nearly gave me a heart attack, and Booger was obviously pretty spooked. She jumped sideways, and probably would have spun and bolted if she'd been on her own. Instead, she immediately came out of the spook when I turned her head back to the way we were heading. She froze and just watched the deer bound away across the field. Then she resumed walking like nothing had ever happened. I was pretty impressed with her responsiveness in a scary situation. She's coming along!

I also switched out her brow band for a bigger one. When we got her bridle last year, she was definitely pony sized. The bridle still fits because she has a short little Arab face, but her forehead has gotten broader since last summer, and the pony sized brow band was getting a little snug. I happened to have Dancer's old beaded brow band floating around so I put it on her. It fixed the fit issues, and looked super snazzy at the same time.

Taken with my new tablet that I accidentally bought.

This week, I only managed to get out to Boo once. I put her in on Wednesday morning and we had a meh ride. Honestly, I think she's pouting because I've been 'ignoring' her. I was supposed to go back today for another trail ride, but I woke up to the sound of pouring rain on the tin roof, so that's not happening. I do think I'm going to go over there when Mike feeds tonight* and spend some time just spoiling her so she's not mad again when I go ride her tomorrow.

*Did I mention that Mike now has a part time gig feeding five horses and six sheep? I have turned him into a stable hand and I totally love it.

As an amusing anecdote, he has been practicing his 'training with love' philosophy (tongue in cheek, of course). One of the horses, nicknamed Bones, was basically abandoned at the property last year. He is in his mid to late twenties and arrived as a skeleton of a horse. He's at a great weight now and has a gleam to his coat. He has also really come out of his shell in terms of personality, and Mike has grown very fond of the old liver chestnut. He spends time grooming him and whispering sweet nothings at him. Bones came from a long history of neglect, and has some food aggression as a result. Basically, he kicks out at anyone who approaches while he's eating, whether they're human, sheep, or horse.

Mike told me that he's been working on it with him. He throws the food in Bones's bucket then pets him. Bones kicks out. Mike keeps petting (from the safety of the other side of the fence) until Bones stops kicking, then leaves him to eat his food in peace. Sure enough, I went to feed for Mike one night last week. I threw the food in Bones's bucket, and Bones stood there, looking at me expectantly. He waited for me to give him a courtesy pat before he started eating. "Yeah, yeah. I know this game. You touch me, I eat." It cracked me up.